Meat press

ABSTRACT

A press for shaping frozen meat into an elongate block or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;log&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; of uniform cross-section, having a lower die and an upper die movable between a raised retracted position clear of the lower die and a lowered closed position on the lower die, the dies forming a cavity extending lengthwise thereof when the upper die is closed. The upper die carries a plate at its forward end for closing the forward end of the cavity, and a ram is movable in the cavity for compressing frozen meat therein against the plate to form a block of meat, and for ejecting the block of meat on raising the upper die and plate. The block is ejected onto a delivery chute provided with a guard. The dies, plate and chute are readily removable without the use of tools for cleaning.

United States Patent [191 Dohm, Jr.

[ MEAT PRESS [75] Inventor: Daniel Dohm, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.

[73] Assignee: Cashin System, Long Island, NY.

[22] Filed: Aug. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 173,478

[52] U.S. Cl 100/53, l/DlG. 10, 100/218, 100/232, 100/249, 100/269 R[51] Int. Cl Bb 7/04 [58] Field of Search 100/53, 295, 232, 100/249, DlG10, 218, 69 R; 85/1 R, W

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,327,622 6/1967 Lebovitz100/232 2,932,246 4/1960 Galas 100/232 2,565,245 8/1951 Lebovitz 100/232X 3,683,797 8/1972 Bettcher 100/232 1,620,154 3/1927 Furman.... /1 R3,040,654 6/1962 Opie 1 /232 X 2,977,732 4/1961 Leonard et al. l00/DIG.10 2,334,774 11/1943 Jordan l00/D1G. 10

' ,8 1, I 33 35- v f' 25 v [451 Aug. 21, 1973 3,683,797 8/1972 BettcherIOU/232 3,687,067 8/1972 Bettcher... 100/232 x 3,704,665 12/1972Bettcher 100/232 Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite Attorneyl(oenig,Senniger, Powers and Leavitt [5 7 ABSTRACT A press for shaping frozenmeat into an elongate block or log of uniform cross-section, having alower die and an upper die movable between a raised retracted positionclear of the lower die and a lowered closed position on the lower die,the dies forming a cavity extending lengthwise thereof when the upperdie is closed. The upper die carries a plate at its forward end forclosing the forward end of the cavity, and a ram is movable in thecavity for compressing frozen meat therein against the-plate to form ablock of meat, and for ejecting the block of meat on raising the upperdie and plate. The block is ejected onto a delivery chute provided witha guard. The dies, plate and chute are readily removable without the useof tools for cleaning.

11 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 21, 1973 6 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,398

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 s? V/ //l Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,398

6 Sheets-Sheet :5

Patented Aug. 21, 1973 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

MEAT PRESS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to meatpresses, and more particularly to a press for shaping frozen meat.

The invention is in the same general field as the meat presses shown inU.S. Pat. Nos. 2,565,245, 2,932,246 and 3,327,622, for pressing frozenmeat into an elongate block or log" of substantially uniformcrosssection throughout its length for being sliced into pieces ofuniform size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the several objects of the invention maybe noted the provision of an improved meat press of the class describedadapted for easy disassembly for cleaning and for easy reassembly aftercleaning without the need of tools; the provision of such a press with aminimum of joints and crevices where meat might collect; and theprovision of such a press which is as fool-proof and safe to operate asis possible.

In general, a press made in accordance with this invention forcompressing frozen meat into an elongate compressed body of uniformcross-section throughout its length comprises a base having a one-piecelower die removably mounted thereon. This lower die comprises anelongate block having an upwardly opening recess extending from one endthereof to the other, the recess being of uniform cross-sectionthroughout its length corresponding at least in part to part of thecrosssection of the compressed body. Means is provided on the baseremovably engageable in openings in the lower die for securing the lowerdie in place on the base. Vertically movable rods extend up from thebase in planes at opposite sides of the lower die, with means in thebase for moving the rods up and down, a head plate being secured to theupper ends of the rods above the lower die. A onepiece upper die isprovided for cooperation with the lower die. This upper die comprises anelongate block having a downwardly opening recess extending from one endthereof to the other, and being of uniform cross-section throughout itslength corresponding to the remainder of the compressed meat bodycross-section. The upper die is adapted to fit within the lower die.Means is provided removably mounting the upper die on the bottom of thehead plate in alignment with the lower die for movement with the headplate between a raised open position above the lower die and a loweredoperative position entered in the lower die. Means removably secured tothe front face of the upper die is provided for closing off the forwardends of the recesses in the dies when the upper die is in its operativeposition. A ram is provided movable forward within said recesses whenthe upper die is in its closed position to compress the meat between theram and the recess closing means uniformly to shape the meat to thecross-section of the cooperable recesses, and movable farther forward toeject the shaped meat from the press when said upper die is opened. Thepress further comprises means for receiving shaped meat ejectedtherefrom, and means for driving the ram and the means for moving saidrods.

Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointedout hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a pressof this invention,

with parts broken away, and showing the upper die of the press in itsraised open position;

FIG. 2 is a front end elevation of FIG. 1, with parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse section on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the upper die in its loweredclosed position;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the press on line7--7 of FIG. 5, showing the upper die in its closed position;

FIG. 8 is a vertical transverse section on line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a hydraulic diagram;

FIG. 10 is a wiring diagram;

FIG. 11 is a perspective of a portion of the hydraulic circuit shown inFIG. 9 showing two manually operated valves thereof with their handlesin the neutral position and with the raised and lowered operatingpositions of the handles shown in phantom;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modification of the upperand lower dies with the upper die in its lowered operative position;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation on line 13-13 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is a view like FIG. 12 showing another modification.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings,there is generally indicated at 1 a press of this invention forcompressing frozen meat into an elongate block or log of substantiallyuniform cross-section throughout its length for being sliced into piecesof substantially uniform size. The press 1, as shown, comprises a basegenerally designated 3, with a lower die 5 on the base. This die is aone-piece die comprising an elongate block having an upwardly openingrecess 7 extending throughout its length from one end thereof to theother. Recess 7 is of uniform cross-section throughout its length, thelower part thereof corresponding to part of the crosssection desired forthe block of meat to be produced. The one-piece lower die 5 is rabbetedas indicated at 9 on the inside of its opposite side walls at the topproviding upwardly facing shoulders 11 along the upper side portions ofthe recess 7. The lower die 5 is removably secured in place on the base3 by means generally indicated at 13 carried by the base engageable inholes 14 in the lower die.

The base 3 is constituted by a cabinet structure C having an internalframe 15 carrying atop plate 17 of elongate rectangular shape, withpanels 19 removably secured to the frame for access to the componentswithin the cabinet. The top plate and the panels are made of stainlesssteel or the like to insure cleanliness and to provide a sanitarysurface. The lower die 5 is mounted on a lower die bed comprising a baseplate 21 and a bed plate 23. The base plate 21 is secured by bolts (notshown) on the top plate 17 toward one end of the cabinet structure (itsleft end as viewed in FIG.

l) and extends longitudinally of the top. plate. The bed plate 23 isnarrower than the base plate 21 and of substantially the same width asthe lower die 5, and is secured to the base plate as by continuouswelding as indicated at 24 to prevent dirt, meat particles and bloodetc. from accumulating between the base plate 21 and the bed plate 23.

Four vertically movable rods, each designated 25, extend up from thecabinet structure through top plate 17 and through the side portions ofthe base plate 21 on opposite sides of the lower die to a positionsubstantially above the lower die. Two of these rods are in a verticalplane at one side of the lower die and the other two are in a verticalplane on the other side of the lower die. The rods are guided for up anddown sliding movement in bushings 27 secured to the base plate 21. Theserods carry a head plate 29 at their upper ends above the lower die.Means generally indicated at 31 is provided in the cabinet structure formoving the rods up and down. A one-piece upper die 33 is removablymounted on the bottom of the head plate, this upper die comprising anelongate block of a width slightly less than the distance between thelower die side walls so that the bottom surfaces 35 of the top die mayengage the upwardly facing shoulders 11 of the lower die when the upperdie is moved to its lowered operative or closed position (as shown inFIGS. 5 and 7). The upper die has a downwardly opening recess 37 ofuniform crosssection extending throughout its length from one endthereof to the other. The head plate 29 is vertically movable by means31 for moving upper die 33 between a raised retracted open positionabove the lower die 5 in which it appears in FIGS. 1 and 2, and thelowered operative closed position in which it appears in FIGS. 3 and 7.With the upper die in its lowered operative closed position, the tworecesses 7 and 37 define a cavity 38 extending from one end of the diesto the other, this cavity being of uniform cross-section throughout itslength corresponding to the cross-section desired for the block of meatto be formed.

A closure plate 39 is carried by the head plate 29, being removablysecured to the forward end of the upper die 33 (its left end as viewedin FIGS. 1 and 7) as by means of a screw 43 threaded into a tapped hole45 in the forward end of the upper die. The screw 43 is a capstan screwhaving a hand wheel 47 on its outer end to enable removing it forremoval of the closure plate without the use of tools. The closure platehas a reduced-thickness extension or flange 49 at its upper endengageable in a slot 51 in the bottom of the head plate 29 when theclosure plate is secured to the upper die by the screw 43, and areduced-thickness extension or flange 53 at its lower end which isengageable in a slot 55 in the top of bed plate 23 when the upper die ismoved down to its closed position. Thus, the closure plate closes offthe front end of the cavity 38 and is securely mounted relative to theupper and lower dies to resist the compression of the meat as will behereinafter described.

A ram 57 is movable in cavity 38 away from the retracted position at therearward end of cavity 38 in which it appears in FIG. 1 toward theforward (left) end of the cavity for compression of meat M therein whenupper die 33 is in its lowered operative position with closure plate 39closing the forward end of the cavity to form a block of meat.Thereafter, the ram is movable farther toward the forward end of thelower die 5, after the upper die 33 and closure plate 39 have been movedto their raised retracted position, to eject the block of meat from thelower die to a delivery chute assembly, generally indicated at 59. Ram57 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder 61 having cap end 62, a piston 63,a piston rod 65, and a rod end 66. The cylinder 61 is carried by amounting bracket 67 secured to base plate 21. The bracket has a verticalfront plate 69 disposed at the rear end of the lower die. The ramcylinder 61 is cantilever-mounted on the front plate 69 and extendsrearwardly therefrom as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. Piston rod 65 extendsthrough an opening in the front plate 69 and has the ram 57 secured atits forward end for movement within cavity 38 to compress the meattherewithin, the ram being shaped for a relatively close sliding fit inthe cavity.

More particularly, the means 13 for removably securing the lower die 5to the base 3 includes a pair of blocks 73 secured on base plate 21adjacent opposite sides thereof near its forward end. Each block has ascrew 75 threaded in a hole therein for engagement in a respective hole14 in the respective side of the lower die. Means 13 further includes apair of dowel pins 77 secured in the bracket front plate 69 adjacent itslower edge extending forward therefrom for engagement in correspondingholes 77a in the rear end of the lower die as shown in FIG. 3. With thescrews 75 in holes 14 and the dowel pins 77 in holes 77a, the lower dieis firmly and accurately secured to the base 3, and by backing offscrews 75, the lower die may be readily removed from the base by slidingit forward on the bed plate 23. At 78 is indicated an adjustment rodthreaded in a tapped hole 78a in the plae 69 adjacent its lower edge,with the front end of the rod engaging the rearward end of the lowerdie. Rod 78 has a handle 78b at its outer end. A bushing 79 made ofnylon or the like is secured to the inner face of each block 73 forengagement with the sides of the lower die 5 for facilitatinglongitudinal sliding of the lower die into position and alignment of therear holes 77a in the lower die with the dowel pins 77 uponrepositioning the die. Screws 75 are capstan screws similar to screw 43,each having a hand wheel 47 at its outer end to enable it readily to bebacked off for rapid removal of the lower die without the use of tools.

The upper die 33 is removably mounted on head plate 29 by means of apair of threaded studs each indicated at 81 secured to the top of theupper die and extending up through openings in the head plate 29, theupper die being held in place on the bottom of the head plate by capstannuts 83 threaded on the studs. The capstan nuts permit the upper die tobe easily removed from the head plate without the use of hand tools. Asshown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 7, the means 31 for moving the rods 25 up anddown to effect movement of the upper die 33 between its raised retracted(open) position and its lowered operative (closed) position comprises avertically disposed hydraulic cylinder 85 having a cap end 86, a piston87, a piston rod 89 and a rod end 91. The free upper end of piston rod89 is threaded in a fitting 93 secured to the bottom of plate 17,thereby fixing the piston rod 89 relative to the press frame 15 andpreventing movement of the piston rod 89 relative thereto. The rod 91(the upper end) of hydraulic cylinder 85 is secured to the bottom of ayoke 95, the latter carrying the rods 25 for up and down movementrelative to the top plate 17. Rods 25 have reduced-diameter upper andlower ends which extend through holes in the head plate 29 and the yoke95, and have nuts 97 threaded thereon securing the head plate and yokethereto. By introducing hydraulic fluid under pressure to the upper andlower sides of piston 87, the cylinder 85 is caused to move upwardly anddownwardly relative to the plate 17 carrying yoke 95 and upper die 33between their respective lowered operative positions and raisedretracted positions.

At 99 is indicated an electric motor driving a hydraulic pump 101 forsupplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to the cylinders 61 and 85 froma tank 103 within the bottom portion of frame via the hydraulic systemdiagrammed in FIG. 9. The motor 99 is started and stopped by aconventional motor control switch 105 mounted above top plate 17 at alocation convenient to the press operator so the press may beimmediately turned off in the event of an emergency.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6-8, the delivery chute assembly 59 comprises ahorizontal delivery chute 109 constituted by a channel mounted on a pairof beams 111 of angle shape in cross-section. The beams 111 carrying thechute 109 are cantilevered forward from the forward end of the top plate17 of the apparatus, being removably secured to the plate 17 by wingbolts 112, with the chute extending forward from the forward end of thelower die 5 and slightly below the bottom of the recess 7 in the lowerdie. At 113 is generally indicated guard means for preventing anoperator from placing his hand in recess 7 from the front end of thelower die 5. This guard means comprises a tunnel or shroud having sidewalls 114 extending up at the sides of the chute 109 and a top wall 115located immediately in front of the lower die. The height of the tunnelis somewhat greater than the height of the cavity 38 defined by theupper and lower dies when the upper die is closed for passagetherethrough of a block of meat ejected from the cavity 38 by the ram57. At the entrance end of the tunnel (its rearward end) is a one-waydoor 116 adapted to open in forward direction only and stopped againstopening in rearward direction. This door is hinged for swinging on avertical axis at 117 at the rearward edge of one of the tunnel sidewalls and is biased by a spring 118 to swing rearward to its closedposition against a stop 119 at the rearward edge of the other tunnelside wall. The door 116 in its closed position is located in a planejust forward of the vertical plane of movement of the closure plate 39.The height of the door is less than the height of the tunnel, and theside walls 114 and top wall 115 of the tunnel are cut away as indicatedat 120 to clear the hand wheel 47 of screw 43 for movement down into therearward end of the tunnel just above the door when the head plate 29and upper die 33 move downward.

The door 116, swung closed in rearward direction against the stop 119,prevents an operator from reaching into the lower die 5 from the frontwhen the closure plate 39 is raised. However, when the upper die 33 andclosure plate 39 are raised, and the ram 57 moved forward to eject acompressed block of meat from the lower die 5, the door is swung openagainst the bias of spring 118 by the block of meat moving forward. andis automatically returned to its closed position by the spring 118 whenthe block of meat is advanced forward on the chute 109 clear of thedoor.

The hydraulic system shown in FIG. 9 includes manual control valves V1and V2 for effecting movement of the upper die 33 between its raisedopen position and its lowered closed position and for effecting movementof ram 57 to compress the meat M in cavity 38, and to subsequently raisethe upper die from its closed position to its raised open position, toeject the meat from the press, and to return the ram to its retractedposition (as shown in FIG. 1). The control valves V1 and V2 each have ahandle, H1 and H2, respectively, and are spaced apart from each other(as shown in FIG. 1), one handle for operation by one hand of the pressoperator and theother handle for operation by the other hand of theoperator. Each of the valves V1 and V2 has a neutral position N (asshown in solid lines in FIG. 11), a first or lowered operating positionL (as shown in phantom), and a second or raised operating position R.The handles H1 and H2 are disposed to be returned to their neutralposition from either operating position. Generally, the hydraulic systemshown in FIG. 9 is operable only in response to movement of both handlesH1 and H2 to their lowered operating positions L to move the upper die33 from its raised open position to its lowered closed position and forextending ram 57 for compressing the meat M. The system is furtheroperable only in response to movement of both handles to their raisedoperating positions R for raising the upper die from its lowered closedposition for extending ram 57 to eject the block of meat M from the diesonto the delivery chute 59, and for retracting the ram. The hydraulicsystem is inoperable when either or both of the valves V1 and V2 are intheir neutral position N. An electrical timing or sequencing circuit isshown in FIG. 10 which permits operation of ram cylinder 61 to move theram 57 forward only after head cylinder has moved the head plate 29 andupper die 33 down to their lowered closed position, and which permitsreturn of the ram to its retracted position after ejecting a block ofmeat onto delivery chute 109.

Referring now to FIG. 9, showing the hydraulic system, there areindicated in addition to the four-way valves V1 and V2, valves V3-V13.Valves V1 and V2 are conventional four-way, three-position valves suchas Vickers D-61754-D10C-50-Y valve having handles H1 and H2 mountedthereon. Each valve has ports A, B, P and T, with the ports A and B ofvalve V1 being plugged and with the port A of valve V2 being plugged.The handles are biased to assume a neutral position wherein port P isconnected to port T to permit the fluid from pump 101 to be returned totank 103 so that the pump will idle at low pressure when the press isnot cycling. When both of the handles are pressed down by an operator,the ports P are blocked, which allows pressure to build up in the systemto actuate valve V5 to effeet downward movement of head cylinder 85 tomove upper die 33 down to its closed position as will be hereinafterdescribed. Raising of the handles causes the port B of valve V2 to beconnected to its port T which causes valve V5 to supply fluid to thehead cylinder 85 to raise the upper die 33 to its raised retractedposition. Ports A and B in valve V1 and port A in valve V2 are plugged.As a safety feature, both handles H1 and H2 must be in their raised orlowered positions or the system will continue to idle, and if duringoperation one or both of the handles is released the system will alsoidle and operation of the cylinders will stop.

Valve V3 is a conventional solenoid four-way valve such as VicltersDG454-OI2A-1 10V-60-50H valve having ports A, B, P and T, and a solenoidS1 which when deenergized by the sequencing circuit shown in FIG. 10moves its valve spool to close its port P and to connect its ports B andT, thus allowing fluid to flow from valve V3 to valve V for purposes aswill appear. Port A of valve V3 is plugged.

Valve V4 is a conventional remote control valve such as a VickersCl75-B-ll valve having an inlet port A and an outlet port B. This valvecontrols pressure within ram cylinder 61, and is mounted in the presswith its control knob Z conveniently located for access by the operatorso that the force of the ram may be readily varied to meet therequirements of the meat being pressed.

Valve V5 is a conventional four-way non-adjustable valve such as aVickers C2-440-S8 valve which controls the upward and downward movementof head cylinder 85. This valve has ports A, B, P and T and pilot portsC and D. When fluid enters the lower pilot port C of valve V5, the valvespool therein shifts so that its port P is connected to its port A,whereby fluid may be directed to the cap end 86 of head cylinder 85 tolower the upper die 33 to its closed position.

Valve V6 is a conventional four-way valve similar to valve V5. The lowerpilot port C of valve V6 is connected to port B of valve V3 so thatfluid may flow from valve V6 to tank 103 thus shifting the spool within.

valve V6 to connect its port P to its port B for moving the ram 57forward from its retracted position to compress the meat within cavity38.

Valve V7 is a conventional sequence valve such as a Vickers RCT-06-D2-22valve having an inlet port A, an outlet port B, and a pilot port C. Thisvalve supplies fluid under pressure from its port B to port P of valveV6 to operate the ram cylinder 61 to move the ram 57 forward to compressthe meat within cavity 38. Fluid is supplied to valve V6 from valve V7only after head cylinder 85 has moved the upper die 33 down to itsclosed position and after the pressure within the head cylinder hasincreased to the value for which valve V! was set. Thus, the maximumpressure within each cylinder is identical. This insures that the headcylinder will maintain the upper die in its lowered closed position asram cylinder 61 compresses the meat because the bore of the headcylinder is larger than the bore of the ram cylinder (4.0 inches and3.25 inches, respectively, for example) enabling the head cylinder toexert higher downward force on the upper die 33 than the upward forcewhich the ram cylinder is able to exert thereon.

Valve V8 is a conventional counterbalance valve, such as a VickersRCT-06-B4-22 valve having an inlet port A and an outlet port B. Thisvalve insures that sufficient back pressure will remain in the rod end91 of head cylinder 85 tokeep the head plate 29 and the upper die 33 intheir raised position when the press is in its idling mode.

Valve V9 is a conventional counterbalance valve like valve V8 connectedto the ram cylinder 61 to maintain the ram in its retracted positionwhen the press is idling.

Valve V10 is a conventional relief valve, such as a Vickers CT-06B-40valve, the function of which is to control or limit the maximum forceexerted by ram cylinder 61 by limiting the pressure of the fluidsupplied thereto. This valve has a port A, a bleed port B and a pilotport C. The bleed outlet 8 of valve V10 is con nected to tank 103 topermit excess fluid to return to the tank.

Valve V11 is a conventional one-way check valve, such as a VickersC2-825 valve, which permits fluid'to flow from pump 101 and which checksback flow to the pump.

Valve V12 is a one-way check valve like valve V11, which combines fluiddischarged from the rod end 66 V of ram cylinder 61 with fluid enteringport P of valve V6 to speed the pressing of the meat and the ejecting ofthe block of meat from the press.

Valve V13 is a conventional relief valve, such as a Vickers CT-06-B-llvalve, which controls the maximum pressure within the system. This valvehas an outlet port A connected to port P of valves V1 and V2, anotheroutlet port B connected to port P of valve V3, an inlet portC connectedto pump 101, and a drain port D connected to tank 103. The flow frompump 101 will be vented to the tank via port D unless the outlet port Aof valve V13 is pressurized.

Pump 101 has its inlet connected to tank 103 by a line L! which has astrainer 126 at its downstream end to filter'the fluid withdrawn fromthe tank. A line L2 extends from the outlet of pump 101 to the inletside of check valve V11. The inlet port A of valve V7 and inlet port Crelief valve V13 are connected to line L2 as indicated at L2a and L2b.Outlet port A of relief valve V13 is connected to port P of each ofvalves V1 and V2 by a line L3 and the outlet port B of relief valve V13is connected to port P of valve V3 by a line L4. Port T of each ofvalves V1, V2 and V3 are interconnected by lines L5 and port T of valveV3 is connected to the inlet port A of control valve V4 by line L6 andto tank 103 by line L7. The outlet port B of valve V4 is connected toport C of relief valve V10 by line L8. Bleed outlet B of valve V10drains to the tank via line L9 and the pressure outlet A of valve V10 isconnected to cap ends 62 of ram cylinder 61 by a flexible hose Fl-ll.Referring now to valve V6, its port B is connected to hose Fl-ll, itsport P is connected to port B of valve V7 by line L10, its lower pilotport C is connected to port B of valve V3 by line L11, its port T isconnected to tank 103 by line L11, its port T is connected to tank 103by line L12, its port A is connected to port A of check valve V9 by lineL13, and its top pilot port D is connected to the tank by line L14. Afilter F is included in line L12 to filter the fluid as it is returnedto the tank. Port C of check valve V9 is connected to rod end 66 of ramcylinder 61 by flexible hose FH2 and port B of valve V9 is connectedto'the inlet side of check valve V12 by hose FH3. The outlet side ofcheck valve V12 is connected to line L10 by line L15 thus enabling valveV12 to communicate with port P of valve V6 and port B of valve V7. Pilotport C of valve V7 is connected to pilot port D of valve V5 by line L16.Referring now to valve V5, its port P is connected to the outlet side ofcheck valve V11 by-flexible hose Fl-l4, its port B is connected to inletport A of counter-balance valve V8 by line L17, its port A is connectedto cap end 86 of head cylinder by hose FHS, its port T is connected toline L12 by line L18, and its lower pilot port C is connected to port Bof valve V2 by line L19. The outlet part B of valve V8 is connected torod end 91 of head cylinder 81 by hose FH6. As shown in FIG. 1, thehoses Fl-ll and Fl-l2 have bulkhead fittings thereon for passage of thehoses through top plate 17 for connection to ram cylinder 61.

Referring now to FIG. 10, showing the electrical circuitry of theapparatus, there is indicated at RY a timedelay relay, the coil of whichis designated Rs. This relay has a set of contacts Ra which are openwhen coil Re is deenergized and which close after a time-delay intervalon energization of coil Re. The relay includes conventional means (notshown) for varying the timedelay interval. The solenoid S1 of valve V3is connected in series with contacts Ra and a microswitch K in a powersupply line 127. Switch K is held closed by the yoke 95 when the latteris raised; it opens when the yoke moves downward. Coil Re is connectedacross line 127 for energization when switch K is closed anddeenergization when switch K opens.

in operation, the meat (either ground meat such as hamburger or wholechunks and pieces) is prepare for forming in the press by freezing themeat to approximately F. The meat is then placed in a cooler andtempered until the meat attains a temperature of approximately 24 F. Inthe tempered state, the meat is frozen, but it may be readily formedunder pressure without shattering. The press 1 is preferably located ina refrigerated room maintained at approximately 38 F. to prevent themeat from becoming unduly thawed. It has been found that the bestforming and subsequent slicing results will be attained if the meat isbetween 22 F. and 28 F. Thus, the meat remains frozen at all timesthereby preventing discoloration and lessening the loss of blood andjuice.

The press operator starts the press motor 99 by actuating control switch105 and then operates the handles H1 and H2 to move the press to aposition in which the head plate 29 and the upper die 33 are in theirraised open positions and the ram 57 is in its retracted position. Thepress is now ready to receive a requisite amount of meat M in recess 7of lower die 5. As a safety feature, the press 1 will assume an idlingmode if one or both of the handles H1 or H2 are released to return totheir neutral positions. In this idling mode, fluid discharged from pump101 is directed to valve V13 via lines L2 and L2b. Fluid from outletport A of valve V13 is directed to the ports P of valves V1 and V2 byline L3. The lastmentioned ports P are connected to ports T in valves V1and V2 when the handles H1 and H2 are in their neutral positions, whichallows the fluid in line L3 to be vented to the tank 103 at low pressurevia lines L5, L6 and L7. Even if one of the handles is moved from itsneutral position, the fluid in line L3 is still vented to the tank viathe valve V! or V2 with its handle in the neutral position. With lowpressure at the outlet port A of valve V13, its inlet port C isconnected to its drain port D thereby venting substantially all fluiddischarged from the pump 101 to the tank 103 via hose FH7. This permitsthe pump 101 to idle at low pressure when the press is not cycling andgreatly increases the operating life of the pump 101 and motor 99.

in order to move the upper die 33 to its lowered operative position andto effect movement of ram 57 to compress the meat M, the operatorpresses both handles H1 and H2 down and holds them down until thecompression phase of the cycle is complete. With both handles presseddown, the ports P of each of the valves V1 and V2 are each connected totheir respective ports B, causing the pressure to increase in line L3and at outlet port A of valve V13 which in turn closes drain port D ofvalve V13 to permit the system to be pressurized to the maximum valuefor which valve V13 has been previously set. The fluid discharged fromthe outlet of pump 101 is thereby directed to port I of valve V5 vialine L2 to check valve V1 1 and hose FH4 With the port P of valve V2connected to its port B, fluid is directed to the lower pilot port C ofvalve V5 via line L19 which causes the spool in valve V5 to shift forconnecting its port P to its port A so that fluid from the pump may flowto cap end 86 of head cylinder to lower the upper die 33. Fluid admittedinto the cap end of the head cylinder will cause the latter to move downrelative to top plate 17 carrying yoke 95, rods 25, head plate 29 andupper die 33 therealong to move the upper die from its raised openposition to its lowered operative position. As yoke moves downwardly,switch K is opened to deenergize coil Re and the solenoid S1 in valve V3to shift its spool to block its port P and to connect its port B to itsport T. Fluid from the lower pilot port C of valve V6 is then vented tothe tank 103 via lines L11, L6 and L7 to shift the spool in valve V6 forconnecting its port P to its port B. When bottom surfaces 35 of upperdie 33 engage shoulders 11 of the lower die, the pressure within thesystem will increase to the pressure for which valve V7 was previouslyset, at which time fluid will flow from valve V7 via line L10 throughport P of valve V6 to port B and into hose F H1 for delivery to cap end62 of ram cylinder 61 causing the ram 57 to be driven forward tocompress the meat M within cavity 38 against the closure plate 39. Thedegree to which the meat is compressed depends on the pressure withinthe ram cylinder 61 which is controlled by valve V4 acting on valve V10.

When the meat M is compressed the desired amount and the movement of theram 57 ceases, the press operator moves the handles H1 and H2 to theirraised positions to raise the head plate 29 and upper die 33 to theirraised open positions (as shown in FIG. 1) to extend the ram 57 forejecting the formed block of meat onto the delivery chute 59, and tomove the ram to its retracted position. With the handles H1 and H2raised, the ports P of valves V1 and V2 are blocked and the ports B ofthese valves are each connected to their respective ports T to ventfluid in line L19 to tank 103 for lowering the pressure at the lowerpilot port C of valve V5 to shift its spool for connecting its port P toits port B and for connecting its port A to its port T. Fluid will thenflow from valve V1 1 to port P of valve V5 via hose F H4, from port B ofvalve V5 to port A of valve V8 via line L17, and from port B of valve V8to rod end 91 of head cylinder 85 via hose FH6 to raise the upper die toits raised open position. The shifting of the spool in valve V5 causesthe pressure in the cap end 86 of the head cylinder to decrease whichlowers the pressure of the system below the value for which sequencevalve V7 was set. Thus, flow from valve V7 to the ram cylinder 61 istemporarily blocked. As the upper die reaches its fully raised openposition, the pressure in the head cylinder and in the system againincreases, which unblocks valve V7 and the latter permits fluid to flowto cap end 62 of ram cylinder 61 as heretofore described for thecompression phase of the cycle to fully extend the ram 57 to eject theblock of meat onto the delivery tray 59. Furthermore, as the upper die33 reaches its fully raised open position, the yoke 95 closes switch Kto energize coil Re. When the time for which the time relay RY was setelapses (this time may be varied to insure that the meat M has beenejected by the ram), contacts Ra close to energize the solenoid S1 ofvalve V3 to shift its spool to connect its port P to its port 13. Fluidmay then flow from port B of valve V13 to port P of valve V3 via line L4and from port B of valve V3 to the lower pilot port C of valve V6 toshift its spool for connecting its port P to its port A. Thus fluid fromvalve V7 is directed to port P of valve V6 via line L10, from port A ofvalve V6 to port A of valve V9, from port C of valve V9 to rod end 66 ofram cylinder 61 via hose F H2 to retract the ram. Fluid vented from thecap end 62 of the ram cylinder is returned to port B of valve V6 viahose FBI and is combined in valve V6 with the fluid entering the rod end66 to speed the retraction of the ram. The operator releases the handlesH1 and H2 and the press assumes its idling mode awaiting the next cycle.

The press is especially adapted to be easily and quickly disassembledfor cleaning and then reassembled without the use of hand tools. Theclosure plate 39 may be removed from the upper die 33 by backing offscrew 43 by means of hand wheel 47 thereon. The upper die 33 may beremoved from head plate 29 by operating the press to lower the upper dieto its lowered operative position resting on the lower die and backingoff hand wheel nuts 83. The press may then be operated to raise the headplate leaving the upper die resting on the lower die. The upper die mayeither be removed .from the press for cleaning or cleaned in place inits disassembled condition. The lower die may also be readily removedfrom the press for cleaning by backing off the screws 75 in blocks 73along its sides. The delivery chute assembly 59 may be removed as a unitby backing off the two wing bolts 112 and lifting the assembly clear ofthe press. The lower die may then be slidably moved forward on the topof bed plate 23 (as facilitated by the use of the nylon blocks 79) andlifted clear of the press. The press may be readily reassembled byreversing the above-described procedure.

The press is constructed with a minimum number of cracks and corners inwhich meat, drippings and dirt may accumulate and the exposed worksurfaces of the press are made of materials that may be readilysteamcleaned to permit rapid and sanitary cleaning.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show a modified version. of the upper and lower dies,which may be preferred, for enabling provision of a die cavity ofgreater width for receiving larger pieces of meat. In FIG. 12, the lowerdie is designated 5a to distinguish it from the lower die 5, and theupper die is designated 33a to distinguish it from the upper die 33. Thelower die 50 is again shown as a one-piece die comprising an elongateblock having an upwardly opening recess therein extending throughout itslength from one end thereof to the other. This recess, which isdesignated 133 to distinguish it from recess 7, like recess 7 is ofuniform cross-section throughout its length with its lower portioncorresponding to part of the cross-section desired for the block of meatto be produced, but differs from recess 7 in that where the recess 7 issymmetrical about the central vertical longitudinal plane of the lowerdie, recess 133 is unsymmetrical about this plane, having a relativelydeep vertical flat face 135 at one side and a relatively shallowvertical flat face 137 at the other side, with a relatively sharplycurved section 139 developed on relatively short radii at the lower endof face 135 and a relatively broadly curved section 141 developed onrelatively long radii at the lower end of face 137 merging with section139. The sections 139 and 141 define the lower portion of the recess;side faces 135 and 137 extend upwardly generally tangentially theretoreaching to the top of the lower die. The vertical face 135 is on theinside of the side wall 143 of the lower die, and the other verticalinside die face 137 is on the inside of the other side wall 145 of thelower die. These side walls have flat horizontal coplanar upper edges147 and 149 engageable by the lower face of the aforesaid head plate 29.

The upper die 33a is dimensioned width-wise for a close sliding fit inthe lower die 5a between the side walls 143 and 145 of the lower die(sliding on the vertical faces 135 and 137 of the recess in the lowerdie). 7

The upper die 33a, like the die 33, is removably mounted on the bottomof the head plate 29 by means of the studs 81 and capstan nuts 83. Ithas a relatively deep vertical side face 151 slidable on face 135 of thelower die and its other side face 153, which slides on face 137 of thelower die, is relatively shallow. The upper die is formed with adownwardly opening recess 155 in its bottom extending throughout itslength from one end thereof to the other of uniform cross-sectioncorresponding to the remainder of the cross-section desired for theblock of meat to be produced. As shown, this recess has a flat face 157at an angle of about to horizontal, with rounded sections 159 and 161 atthe sides of face 157 providing knife edges 163 and 165 at the loweredges of the sides of the upper die. As the upper die descends into thelower die, these knife edges scrape off any meat particles which mayhave clung to the vertical inside faces 135 and 137 of the lower die,and, in its operative position at the bottom of its stroke, the upperdie forms a cavity 167 in conjunction with the lower die having thedesired cross-section for the block of meat to'be produced. The ram (notshown in FIG. 12) is shaped to fit in this cavity for compressing meattherein as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8.

Means is provided for preventing the side walls 143 and 145 of the lowerdie from bending outwardly as the meat within the cavity 167 iscompressed by ram 57. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, this means maycomprise a pair of bars 169 secured as by welding to the bottom face ofhead plate 29, one on each side of the upper die 33a. Theinner edge ofeach bar 169 is spaced from the respective side of the upper die adistance slightly greater than the thickness of the respective lower dieside wall 143 or 145, the latter being adapted to have a close slidingfit in the space between the respective bar and the upper die torestrain the upper edges of the lower die side walls from deflectingoutwardly as the meat is compressed. Alternately, as shown in FIG. 14,the upper edges of the lower die may be restrained from deflectingoutwardly by means of a pair of grooves 171 provided in the bottom ofhead plate 29 for receiving the upper edges of the lower die side walls143 and 145 when the upper die 33a is in its lowered operative position.In both FIGS. 12 and 14, the top edges 147 and 149 of side walls areengageable by the head plate 29 to restrain the upper die from movingdown beyond its lowered operative position, thus preventing the knifeedges 163 and 165 of the upper die from binding in the lower die. Sidewalls 143 and of the lower die may be reinforced to resist outwarddeflection by means of reinforcing ribs such as indicated at 173 securedas by welding on the outside of these walls extending vertically andterminating short of the tops of blocks 73.

The modified dies 50 and 33a are removably secured in the meat press inthe same manner as dies 5 and 33 heretofore described, whereby the thedies may be readily removed from the press without the use of hand toolsthus facilitating easy disassembly and assembly of the press forcleaning and the like. The operation of the press with the modified diesinstalled therein is substantially the same as the operation of thepress as heretofore described.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

l. A press for compressing frozen meat into an elongate compressed bodyof uniform cross-section throughout its length comprising:

a base;

a one-piece lower die removably mounted on the base comprising anelongate block having an upwardly opening recess extending from one endthereof to the other, said recess being of uniform cross-sectionthroughout its length corresponding at least in part to part of saidbody cross-section;

means mounted on the base removably engageable in openings in the lowerdie for removably securing the lower die in place on the base, thislast-said means comprising a block on each side of the lower die securedto said base, each said block having a screw threaded therein with theinner end of the screw engageable within a respective opening in theside of said lower die, each screw having means at its outer end formanual operation thereof;

vertically movable rods extending up from the base in planes at oppositesides of the lower die; means in the base for moving said rods up anddown;

a head plate secured to the upper ends of the rods above the lower die;

a one-piece upper die cooperable with the lower die comprising anelongate block having a downwardly opening recess extending from one endthereof to the other, and being of uniform cross-section throughout itslength corresponding to the remainder of said compressed meat bodycross-section, said upper die being adapted to fit within the lower die;means removably mounting said upper die on the bottom of the head platein alignment with the lower die for movement with the head plate betweena raised open position above the lower die and a lowered operativeposition entered in the lower die;

means removably secured to the front face of said upper die closing offthe forward ends of the recesses in said upper-die and in said lower diewhen the upper die is in its said lowered operative position;

a ram movable forward from a retracted position within said recesseswhen said upper die is in its said operative position to compress themeat between the ram and said recess closing means uniformly to shapethe meat to the cross-section of the cooperable recesses and movablefarther forward to eject the shaped meat from the press when said upperdie is opened;

means for receiving said shaped meat ejected from said press; and

means for driving said ram and said means for moving said rods.

2. A press as set forth in claim 1 having a rigid vertical member at therearward end of said lower die secured to said base, said verticalmember carrying at least one dowelipin extending into an opening in therear end of said lower die.

3. A press as set forth in claim 2 wherein said vertical member carriesthreaded means engageable with the rear face of said lower die.

4. A press as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means in said 'base formoving said rods comprises a yoke, the bottom ends of said rods beingsecured thereto, a hydraulic cylinder for said yoke having its rod endsecured to the bottom of said yoke and a piston rod extending up throughan opening in said yoke having its upper end secured to said base.

5. A press as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for driving theram comprises a hydraulic cylinder for said ram and mounting meanssecured to the base having a vertical member adjacent the rear face ofsaid lower die carrying said ram cylinder extending rearward therefrom,and a piston rod extending from a piston in the ram cylinder through anopening in said vertical surface and carrying the ram at its forward endfor movement lengthwise within the recesses of said dies.

6. A press as set forth in claim 6 wherein said driving means furthercomprises a hydraulic system for selectively supplying hydraulic fluidunder pressure to said yoke cylinder and ,to said ram cylinder foreffecting movement of the upper die between its raised open position andits lowered operative position and for effecting movement of the ram tocompress the meat and to subsequently raise the upper die from itslowered operative position to its raised open position, to eject themeat from the press, and to return the ram to its retracted position,said hydraulic system comprising a pair of manual control valves, onefor operation by one hand of an operator and the other for operation bythe other hand of the operator, each valve having a neutral position, afirst operating position, and a second operating position, and eachbeing returned to neutral on release from either operating position, andmeans operable only in response to movement of both valves to said firstoperating position for moving the upper die from its raised openposition to its lowered operative position and for extending said ramfor compressing the meat, and operable only in response to movement ofboth valves to said second operating position for raising said upper diefrom its lowered operative position to its raised open position, forextending the ram farther to eject said meat from the dies onto saidreceiving means and for then retracting said ram, and the last-saidmeans being inoperable when either or both of said valves are in theirrespective neutral positions.

7. A press as set forth in claim 6 wherein the pressure in saidhydraulic system is increased in response to movement of the upper dieto its lowered operative position to permit said yoke cylinder to exertsufficient downward force on the upper die to maintain it in its loweredoperative position as the meat is compressed by said ram, and whereinsaid hydraulic system further includes a sequence valve for directinghydraulic fluid under pressure to said ram cylinder for movement of theram to compress the meat only after said yoke cylinder has moved theupper die down to its lowered operative position.

8. A press for compressing frozen meat into an elongate compressed bodyof uniform cross-section throughout its length comprising:

a base;

a lower die mounted on the base having an upwardly opening recessextending from one end thereof to the other, said recess being ofuniform crosssection throughout its length corresponding at least inpart to part of said body cross-section;

an upper die cooperable with the lower die having a downwardly openingrecess extending from one end thereof to the other, and being of uniformcross-section throughout its length corresponding to the remainder ofsaid compressed meat body cross-section; means mounting said upper diefor movement between a raised open position above the lower die and alowered operative position cooperable with the lower die; means forclosing off the forward ends of the recesses in said upper die and insaid lower die when the upper die is in its said lowered operativeposition; a ram movable forward from a retracted position within saidrecesses when said upper die is in its said operative position tocompress the meat between the ram and said recess closing meansuniformly to shape the meat to the cross-section of the cooperablerecesses and movable farther forward to eject the shaped meat from thepress when said upper die is opened; means for driving said ram and saidmeans for moving said rods; and means for receiving said shaped meatejected from said press, said receiving means comprising a deliverychute extending forward of the lower die for receiving said shaped meatas it is ejected from the lower die, said chute being substantially atthe level of the lowermost surface of the recess in said lower die, saidchute having guard means adjacent the forward end of said dies forpreventing a press operator from placing his hand between said dies fromthe front thereof, said guard means comprising a tunnel enclosing therear portion of said chute adjacent said dies, said tunnel having aoneway door at its end adjacent the dies opening inwardly of the tunnel,said door being movable between a closed position blocking the tunneland an open position by the meat as it is ejected from the dies onto thechute, said door being biased to swing closed as the block of meat ismoved clear of the tunnel.

9. A press as set forth in claim 8 wherein said chute is cantileveredforward from the forward end of said base and is releasably securedthereto.

10. A press for compressing frozen meat into an elongate compressed bodyof uniform cross-section throughout its length comprising;

a base;

a lower die mounted on said base having an upwardly opening recessextending from one end thereof to the other, said recess being ofuniform crosssection throughout its length corresponding at least inpart to part of said body cross-section;

vertically movable rods extending up from the base in planes at oppositesides of the lower die;

a head plate secured to the upper ends of the rods above the lower die;

an upper die secured to the bottom of the head plate cooperable with thelower die having a downwardly opening recess extending from one endthereof to the other, and being of uniform cross-section throughout itslength corresponding to the remainder of said compressed meat bodycross-section;

means including a first hydraulic cylinder in the base for moving saidrods to move said head plate and said upper die between a raised openposition above the lower die and a lowered operative position;

means closing off the forward ends of the recesses in said upper die andin said lower die when the upper die is in its lowered operativeposition;

a ram movable forward from a retracted position within said recesseswhen said upper dieis inits said operative position to compress the meatbetween the ram and said recess closing means uniformly to shape themeat to the cross-section .of the cooperable recesses, and movablefarther forward to eject the meat from the press when the upper die isopened, and then movable back to its retracted position;

a second hydraulic cylinder for driving the ram;

and a hydraulic system for selectively supplying hydraulic fluid underpressure to said first and second cylinders for effecting movement ofthe upper die between its raised open position and its lowered operativeposition and for effecting movement of the ram to compress the meat;

and to subsequently raise the upper die from its lowered closed positionto its raised open position, to eject the meat from the press, and toreturn the ram to its retracted position, said hydraulic systemcomprising a pair of manual control valves, one for operation by onehand of an operator and the other for operation by the other hand of theoperator, each valve having a neutral position, a first operatingposition, and a second operating position, and each being returned toneutral on release from either operating position, and means operableonly in response to movement of both valves to said first operatingposition for moving the upper die from its raised open position to itslowered operative position and for extending said ram for compressingthe meat, and operable only in response to movement of both valves tosaid second operating position for raising said upper die from itslowered operative position to its raised open position, for extendingthe ram farther to eject said meat from the dies and for then retractingsaid ram, and being inoperable when either or both of said valves are intheir respective neutral positions.

1 l. A press as set forth in claim 10 wherein the pressure in saidhydraulic system is increased in response to movement of the upper dieto its lowered operative position to permit said first cylinder to exertsufficient dwnward force on the upper die to maintain it in its loweredoperative position as the meat is compressed by the ram, and whereinsaid hydraulic system includes a sequence valve for directing hydraulicfluid under pressure to said second cylinder for movement of the ram tocompress the meat only after said first cylinder has moved the upper dieto its lowered operative position.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No-2.752.298 Dated August 21 1973 Inventor(g) Daniel DOhTfl, JP.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

' On the front page, item 73, the as signee's name should be "'CashinSystems Co'rp.". Column 4, line 33, "plae" should read "plate"; and line6 4, rod 91" should read '"rod end 91". Column 6, Line 42, "as Vickers"should read "as a Vicvkers". Column 13, line 49, "means removablymounting" should start a new paragraph.

Column 1 4, line 29, "claim 6" should read "claim 5". Column 15, line59, the semicolon after "comprising" should be a colon.

Column 16, line 60-, "dwnward" should read "downward".

Signed and sealed this 27th day of November 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. RENE D. TE'GTMEYER Acting Commissioner of PatentsAttesting Officer

1. A press for compressing frozen meat into an elongate compressed bodyof uniform cross-section throughout its length comprising: a base; aone-piece lower die removably mounted on the base comprising an elongateblock having an upwardly opening recess extending from one end thereofto the other, said recess being of uniform cross-section throughout itslength corresponding at least in part to part of said bodycross-section; means mounted on the base removably engageable inopenings in the lower die for removably securing the lower die in placeon the base, this last-said means comprising a block on each side of thelower die secured to said base, each said block having a screw threadedtherein with the inner end of the screw engageable within a respectiveopening in the side of said lower die, each screw having means at itsouter end for manual operation thereof; vertically movable rodsextending up from the base in planes at opposite sides of the lower die;means in the base for moving said rods up and down; a head plate securedto the upper ends of the rods above the lower die; a one-piece upper diecooperable with the lower die comprising an elongate block having adownwardly opening recess extending from one end thereof to the other,and being of uniform crosssection throughout its length corresponding tothe remainder of said compressed meat body cross-section, said upper diebeing adapted to fit within the lower die; means removably mounting saidupper die on the bottom of the head plate in alignment with the lowerdie for movement with the head plate between a raised open positionabove the lower die and a lowered operative position entered in thelower die; means removably secured to the front face of said upper dieclosing off the forward ends of the recesses in said upper die and insaid lower die when the upper die is in its said lowered operativeposition; a ram movable forward from a retracted position within saidrecesses when said upper die is in its said operative position tocompress the meat between the ram and said recess closing meansuniformly to shape the meat to the cross-section of the cooperablerecesses and movable farther forward to eject the shaped meat from thepress when said upper die is opened; means for receiving said shapedmeat ejected from said press; and means for driving said ram and saidmeans for moving said rods.
 2. A press as set forth in claim 1 having arigid vertical member at the rearward end of saId lower die secured tosaid base, said vertical member carrying at least one dowel pinextending into an opening in the rear end of said lower die.
 3. A pressas set forth in claim 2 wherein said vertical member carries threadedmeans engageable with the rear face of said lower die.
 4. A press as setforth in claim 1 wherein said means in said base for moving said rodscomprises a yoke, the bottom ends of said rods being secured thereto, ahydraulic cylinder for said yoke having its rod end secured to thebottom of said yoke and a piston rod extending up through an opening insaid yoke having its upper end secured to said base.
 5. A press as setforth in claim 4 wherein said means for driving the ram comprises ahydraulic cylinder for said ram and mounting means secured to the basehaving a vertical member adjacent the rear face of said lower diecarrying said ram cylinder extending rearward therefrom, and a pistonrod extending from a piston in the ram cylinder through an opening insaid vertical surface and carrying the ram at its forward end formovement lengthwise within the recesses of said dies.
 6. A press as setforth in claim 6 wherein said driving means further comprises ahydraulic system for selectively supplying hydraulic fluid underpressure to said yoke cylinder and to said ram cylinder for effectingmovement of the upper die between its raised open position and itslowered operative position and for effecting movement of the ram tocompress the meat and to subsequently raise the upper die from itslowered operative position to its raised open position, to eject themeat from the press, and to return the ram to its retracted position,said hydraulic system comprising a pair of manual control valves, onefor operation by one hand of an operator and the other for operation bythe other hand of the operator, each valve having a neutral position, afirst operating position, and a second operating position, and eachbeing returned to neutral on release from either operating position, andmeans operable only in response to movement of both valves to said firstoperating position for moving the upper die from its raised openposition to its lowered operative position and for extending said ramfor compressing the meat, and operable only in response to movement ofboth valves to said second operating position for raising said upper diefrom its lowered operative position to its raised open position, forextending the ram farther to eject said meat from the dies onto saidreceiving means and for then retracting said ram, and the last-saidmeans being inoperable when either or both of said valves are in theirrespective neutral positions.
 7. A press as set forth in claim 6 whereinthe pressure in said hydraulic system is increased in response tomovement of the upper die to its lowered operative position to permitsaid yoke cylinder to exert sufficient downward force on the upper dieto maintain it in its lowered operative position as the meat iscompressed by said ram, and wherein said hydraulic system furtherincludes a sequence valve for directing hydraulic fluid under pressureto said ram cylinder for movement of the ram to compress the meat onlyafter said yoke cylinder has moved the upper die down to its loweredoperative position.
 8. A press for compressing frozen meat into anelongate compressed body of uniform cross-section throughout its lengthcomprising: a base; a lower die mounted on the base having an upwardlyopening recess extending from one end thereof to the other, said recessbeing of uniform cross-section throughout its length corresponding atleast in part to part of said body cross-section; an upper diecooperable with the lower die having a downwardly opening recessextending from one end thereof to the other, and being of uniformcross-section throughout its length corresponding to the remainder ofsaid compressed meat body cross-section; means mounting said upper diefor movement between a raised open position above the lower die and alowered operative position cooperable with the lower die; means forclosing off the forward ends of the recesses in said upper die and insaid lower die when the upper die is in its said lowered operativeposition; a ram movable forward from a retracted position within saidrecesses when said upper die is in its said operative position tocompress the meat between the ram and said recess closing meansuniformly to shape the meat to the cross-section of the cooperablerecesses and movable farther forward to eject the shaped meat from thepress when said upper die is opened; means for driving said ram and saidmeans for moving said rods; and means for receiving said shaped meatejected from said press, said receiving means comprising a deliverychute extending forward of the lower die for receiving said shaped meatas it is ejected from the lower die, said chute being substantially atthe level of the lowermost surface of the recess in said lower die, saidchute having guard means adjacent the forward end of said dies forpreventing a press operator from placing his hand between said dies fromthe front thereof, said guard means comprising a tunnel enclosing therear portion of said chute adjacent said dies, said tunnel having aoneway door at its end adjacent the dies opening inwardly of the tunnel,said door being movable between a closed position blocking the tunneland an open position by the meat as it is ejected from the dies onto thechute, said door being biased to swing closed as the block of meat ismoved clear of the tunnel.
 9. A press as set forth in claim 8 whereinsaid chute is cantilevered forward from the forward end of said base andis releasably secured thereto.
 10. A press for compressing frozen meatinto an elongate compressed body of uniform cross-section throughout itslength comprising; a base; a lower die mounted on said base having anupwardly opening recess extending from one end thereof to the other,said recess being of uniform cross-section throughout its lengthcorresponding at least in part to part of said body cross-section;vertically movable rods extending up from the base in planes at oppositesides of the lower die; a head plate secured to the upper ends of therods above the lower die; an upper die secured to the bottom of the headplate cooperable with the lower die having a downwardly opening recessextending from one end thereof to the other, and being of uniformcross-section throughout its length corresponding to the remainder ofsaid compressed meat body cross-section; means including a firsthydraulic cylinder in the base for moving said rods to move said headplate and said upper die between a raised open position above the lowerdie and a lowered operative position; means closing off the forward endsof the recesses in said upper die and in said lower die when the upperdie is in its lowered operative position; a ram movable forward from aretracted position within said recesses when said upper die is in itssaid operative position to compress the meat between the ram and saidrecess closing means uniformly to shape the meat to the cross-section ofthe cooperable recesses, and movable farther forward to eject the meatfrom the press when the upper die is opened, and then movable back toits retracted position; a second hydraulic cylinder for driving the ram;and a hydraulic system for selectively supplying hydraulic fluid underpressure to said first and second cylinders for effecting movement ofthe upper die between its raised open position and its lowered operativeposition and for effecting movement of the ram to compress the meat; andto subsequently raise the upper die from its lowered closed position toits raised open position, to eject the meat from the press, and toreturn the ram to its retracted position, said hydraulic systemcomprising a pair of manual control valves, one for oPeration by onehand of an operator and the other for operation by the other hand of theoperator, each valve having a neutral position, a first operatingposition, and a second operating position, and each being returned toneutral on release from either operating position, and means operableonly in response to movement of both valves to said first operatingposition for moving the upper die from its raised open position to itslowered operative position and for extending said ram for compressingthe meat, and operable only in response to movement of both valves tosaid second operating position for raising said upper die from itslowered operative position to its raised open position, for extendingthe ram farther to eject said meat from the dies and for then retractingsaid ram, and being inoperable when either or both of said valves are intheir respective neutral positions.
 11. A press as set forth in claim 10wherein the pressure in said hydraulic system is increased in responseto movement of the upper die to its lowered operative position to permitsaid first cylinder to exert sufficient dwnward force on the upper dieto maintain it in its lowered operative position as the meat iscompressed by the ram, and wherein said hydraulic system includes asequence valve for directing hydraulic fluid under pressure to saidsecond cylinder for movement of the ram to compress the meat only aftersaid first cylinder has moved the upper die to its lowered operativeposition.